Bob Lombardi, a longtime associate executive director, has been unanimously approved as the new PIAA executive director.

Lombardi will replace Brad Cashman, who will retire in July after 18 years in charge of the Pennsylvania interscholastic sports governing body.

"I'm thrilled," Lombardi said in a phone conversation. "We have such a good staff and a good board. I have tremendous admiration for the people I work with. I have so much fun. This is a great day. I'm looking forward to it."

He enters the job at a time when there are many concerns about the future of the PIAA amid issues concerning transfers, level playing fields for public, private and charter schools and a decline in revenues and attendance.

Lombardi is prepared to embrace those challenges.

"No question we have things in front of us to take a look at," he said. "But you know what, we have good, quality people who want to do the right things in athletics and we're going to continue to try to do the right things."

Lombardi knows his way around District 11. He spent one year as a graduate student at East Stroudsburg University.

"I've been in athletics my entire life," Lombardi said. "We're going to listen. We're going to try get people involved and come up with as many things as we can to promote athletics. Let's face it, we don't exist without student-athletes and their schools and their communities. We're looking forward to working with everybody."